


Keeping Up Appearances

by KathyAgel



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-14 03:00:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17500304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KathyAgel/pseuds/KathyAgel
Summary: Originally published under the pseud Susie Warren in the Stargate SG-1 fanzine The Seventh Chevron Issue 1





	Keeping Up Appearances

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published under the pseud Susie Warren in the Stargate SG-1 fanzine The Seventh Chevron Issue 1

SG-1 was scheduled for a routine mission to P2D-419. As usual, Teal’c arrived first, gearing up silently and efficiently, then sat waiting patiently for the rest of the team to join him.  


He didn’t have long to wait. Jack was next, dressed in a black tee-shirt and stone-colored chinos, his leather jacket slung over his right shoulder, whistling a tune Teal’c wasn’t familiar with. “It’s a lovely day to visit a planet with no name,” he said cheerily as he hung his jacket in his locker. “Wanna bet it’s green?” Teal’c made no answer and Jack stripped to his skivvies, then donned his green BDUs.  


Sam arrived next, almost on his heels, already dressed in green BDUs and carrying a pressboard tray with four containers of coffee from the mess. Teal’c accepted his with a nod of thanks.  


Sam handed a container to Jack. “Good morning, Colonel.”  


“Carter,” Jack said, reaching for the container she held out to him. His knuckles brushed hers briefly before his fingers closed around the styrofoam container. “Thanks.”  


“Careful–it’s hot.”  


“Thanks for the warning.” He took a sip and grimaced. “And it’s as bad as usual. No offense, Carter.”  


She smiled. “None taken, sir.”  


“Times like this I miss Urgo. At least he made the mess’ output taste palatable.”  


“Among other things,” Sam said wryly. “You never did explain that comment about black bikinis.”  


“And I never will, either.”  


Daniel was the last to arrive. He too, carried a tray with four containers of coffee. “Sorry, I–oh….” he said, noticing the coffee the other SG-1 members already held. He put the tray down on the bench in the middle of the room.  


Sam bestowed a beatific smile on him. “That’s all right, Daniel. We appreciate the gesture. Don’t we, Colonel?”  


“Huh?” Jack asked. “Oh, yeah. Thanks, Daniel.” He looked at the coffee. “Starbuck’s?” he asked, eyeing the logo on the cardboard containers.  


“Well, yeah. I got tired of the mess’s coffee.”  


Jack looked at Carter; she put her container down and picked up one of the cups Daniel had brought in. “Thanks, Daniel.”  


Jack followed her lead and took a container. “Yeah, Daniel. Thanks.” He lifted the lid and smiled appreciatively at the aroma. “Ah. Real coffee.” He looked over at Sam and smiled.  


“It’s better than the sludge I brought in.”  


They drank their coffee as they changed and geared up. Jack and Sam moved with a practiced ease and an economy of motion. Daniel, still suffering the aftereffects of injuries garnered in a fall on P9D-620, moved a little more slowly. Though he was fully recovered, he still felt stiff and sore in the mornings.  


Jack adjusted Carter’s pack strap, patted her shoulder twice, then gave her a smile. The smile she gave him in return was charged enough to power the entire SGC complex for a month. Their eyes met, and an unspoken message passed between them.  


Daniel turned away, unwilling to trespass on such an intimate moment. Over the past few weeks their body language had changed subtly. The casual observer wouldn’t notice a difference, but to someone who knew them as well as Daniel did, the change was highly apparent. Jack and Sam were, if not actually sleeping together, damned close to it–at least in the thinking-about-it stage. He smiled to himself. It was about time those two showed some sense. Regulations be damned.  


Looking towards the adjoining cubicle, he noticed that Teal’c was observing the pair as well—with a lot less subtlety. “Uh, Teal’c, can you give me a hand with this?” he asked, hoping to divert the Jaffa’s attention and give Jack and Sam a little privacy. Not that they needed real privacy, of course–they were both too professional to let anything go that far on duty—but they didn’t need their teammates acting like a pair of peeping toms or gawking hormone-ridden teenagers, either.  


Teal’c immediately came to his aid. “With what do you require assistance, DanielJackson?”  


“My tactical vest's straps–they’re tangled. I can’t get my pack on.” He fumbled with the equipment to illustrate his plight.  


Jack looked over. “Problem, Daniel?” he asked, his voice tinged with concern.  


“Not really, Jack,” Daniel replied, hoping he sounded befuddled enough. “I’m just a little slow this morning, that’s all. Kinda stiff….”  


“If you’re not one-hundred-percent….”  


“Oh, I am,” Daniel said hurriedly. “It’s just a little early-morning soreness. You know how it is. It’ll work itself out in a while.”  


Jack looked him over; behind him, Daniel could see Sam looking on with a worried expression. Then Jack shrugged. “Okay. We leave in ten. I need to talk to the General before we leave.”  


“I’ll check out our weapons, sir,” Sam said.  


“Why don’t I help you do that, Major?” Jack said.  


Again she gave him a hundred-megawatt smile. “Oh. Sure, sir. Thank you.”  


“Daniel, Teal’c, meet us in the Gate Room. Major?”  


Daniel smiled. Jack could make something as simple as Sam’s rank sound like a verbal endearment. Perhaps it was.  


“Coming, sir.” She stopped beside Daniel as she followed Jack. “Are you sure you’re all right?”  


“Yeah, Sam. I’ll be fine. Thanks.”  


She looked uncertain for a moment, then patted his shoulder and strode to the door, where Jack waited for her. Then they strode off together into the corridor.  


Daniel waited until he was sure they were gone before easily shrugging the pack onto his shoulders. “Thanks, Teal’c. I can take it from here.”  


Teal’c stepped back. “DanielJackson, I do not understand why you asked for my help. You are quite able to don your pack without assistance.”  


“You were staring.” When Teal’c didn’t answer, Daniel repeated, “You were staring at Jack and Sam.”  


“This is not permitted?”  


“Well, no. Not like that. You were…intruding.”  


“I do not understand.”  


“Yeah. Um…they were–interacting on a personal level, and you were watching them.”  


“I still do not understand why this is not permitted.”  


“It’s kind of personal, and private. And we’re not supposed to notice the way they look at each other, anyway.”  


“DanielJackson, I believe that ColonelO’Neill and MajorCarter have consummated their relationship. “  


Daniel blinked at the non-sequitur, then his eyes widened in shock and he covered Teal’c’s mouth with his hand. “Ssshhh!” He darted to the open door and looked up and down the corridor to see if anyone was nearby. Thankfully, no one was and he relaxed fractionally, pulling the locker room door shut.  


“What is wrong, DanielJackson?”  


You can’t– We can’t– They can’t—” Daniel took a deep breath and started over. “They’re not supposed to be involved. It’s against regulations.”  


“But DanielJackson, they must already be, as you call it, involved. O’Neill looks at MajorCarter as a man looks at a woman he treasures. It is there for all to see.”  


“I know he does. But we’re not supposed to notice. And we have to hope no one else does.”  


“Why?”  


“Because it’s against regulations.”  


“You keep repeating that statement. I do not understand why this is so.”  


“I know. And I don’t completely understand it myself. But they’re not allowed to get involved. And we have to pretend that nothing has changed in order to protect them. If we let on, the higher-ups can punish the two of them – maybe even court-martial them.”  


“DanielJackson, I do not see what business it is of theirs.”  


Daniel sighed. “It’s the military, Teal’c. They look at things differently than the rest of us do. It even regulates their personal lives.”  


“Even Apophis did not interfere between his Jaffa and our choice of mates.”  


Daniel ran his tongue over his lower lip. “Yeah, well, give the devil his due.” He shook his head at Teal’c’s frown of confusion at the phrase. “I’ll explain later.” He took a deep breath, wondering where to start. He began pacing as he spoke. “The Air Force has strict non-fraternization regulations. A superior officer is forbidden to engage in a personal relationship with a subordinate.” He paused. “That means Jack and Sam aren’t supposed to do what we think they’re doing. Not that we have any proof they’re doing what we think they’re doing–though the way they look at each other, who needs proof.…” He looked up at Teal’c. “Never mind.”  


“Then if they do not consummate their relationship—”  


Daniel stopped in his tracks. “Teal’c, stop saying that! If anyone hears you, they could get in big trouble! Hammond might even split up the team!”  


“DanielJackson, that makes no sense. A physical relationship between them could only strengthen the bond between them. It can only help the team.”  


“You know that. I know that. But the Air Force doesn’t see it that way. They think it would hurt us.”  
Teal’c gave Daniel a look of disapproval. “Your world has many strange ideas.”  


“Yeah, Teal’c, it does.” Daniel sensed that Teal’c hadn’t quite gotten the point, so he pressed on. “Teal’c, we know they care about each other. But other people might think Jack and Sam are together because Jack coerced her.”  


Teal’c’s gaze hardened. “O’Neill would never behave in such a despicable and dishonorable manner,” he said flatly.  


“You know that and I know that, but people love to gossip.” Daniel’s expression sobered. “And they might say that Sam’s with Jack because she’s…” Daniel switched verbal gears midstream; he didn’t think ‘sleeping her way to the top’ would register with Teal’c. “…looking to further her career.”  


Teal’c’s normally impassive expression disappeared, replaced by a look of stone cold outrage. “If anyone dares to say that, I will rip his tongue out. MajorCarter’s behavior has always been above reproach.”  
Daniel grimaced. “No, Teal’c, that won’t be necessary,” he said hurriedly. “But you do see why we need to keep this quiet?”  


Teal’c inclined his head in Daniel’s direction, closing his eyes briefly. “For their sakes, DanielJackson, I will do as you ask.”  


“Good. Oh—and we can’t let them know we think they’re sleeping together.”  


“Why not?”  


Daniel grimaced. “Teal’c, it’s all part of the game.”  


“From what you have told me, this is no game. This is very serious.”  


“Figure of speech, Teal’c. This will be our little secret.”  


“If this is as important as you say, it is no little secret. It is a very big secret.”  


Daniel sighed. “Another figure of speech, Teal’c.”  


“As you say.”  


“Besides, let Jack and Sam think they fooled us. It’ll make them feel better.”  


“Judging from the looks they exchanged this morning, they feel very good already.”  


Daniel looked at him in surprise, them smiled. “Yeah. Yeah, they must. So we agree we have to protect them from whatever gossip that might crop up?”  


“I will quell any gossip I hear.”  


_Uh-oh. _“Just…be tactful about it.”  
__

__“I will tell the speaker that ColonelO’Neill’s and MajorCarter’s private lives are their own and not open to discussion.”  
_ _

__“Uh–no. That might be the wrong tack to take.”  
_ _

__“Why?”  
_ _

__“Because you’d be tacitly admitting that something is going on. Better to just deny it.”  
_ _

__“Then I will tell them that ColonelO’Neill and MajorCarter have not consummated their relationship.”  
_ _

__Daniel closed his eyes. “Teal’c.…”  
_ _

__“Yes, DanielJackson?”  
_ _

__“Let’s not use the C word at all.”  
_ _

__“The C word?”  
_ _

__“Consummate. Consummation. Let’s just avoid that one completely, shall we?”  
_ _

__Teal’c inclined his head in confirmation. “As you wish.”  
_ _

__Just tell anyone who asks–if anyone is even stupid enough to ask—that nothing is going on.”  
_ _

__“That would be a lie.”  
_ _

__“So? Jaffa don’t lie?”  
_ _

__Teal’c looked at him impassively.  
_ _

__Daniel couldn’t tell whether that meant yes, or no, so he just pressed on. “If anyone asks–just deny it.”  
_ _

__“If you think that is best.”  
_ _

__Daniel looked at Teal’c; something in the Jaffa’s tone made Daniel think Teal’c been pulling his leg all along._ _

__There was a spark of humor in the dark eyes, though Teal’c’s facial expression was as impassive as ever.  
_ _

__“Yeah, Yeah, I do.” Daniel gestured toward the door. “Let’s go before they send out a search party for us.”_ _

____

 

Jack and Sam were talking quietly in the Embarkation Room as Daniel and Teal’c entered. “Everything all right, Daniel?” Jack asked as he handed Daniel a holstered sidearm and several magazines of ammunition.  


“Everything’s fine, Jack,” Daniel said as he buckled on the holster.  


“We are indeed fine, O’Neill,” Teal'c supplied.  


“Good.” Jack turned to Sam and lifted an eyebrow; she shrugged slightly.  


“SG-1, you have a go,” General Hammond said over the intercom as the Gate powered up and the chevrons began to engage. Jack looked up toward the control room and tossed off a casual two-fingered salute.  


The wormhole was established, the event horizon _kawooshing _out of the Gate before retracting and stabilizing.  
__

__“All right, campers. Onward and upward. Let’s see what’s waiting for us on the other side.” Jack strode off and up the ramp, Sam at his side as he went through the event horizon. Teal’c and Daniel paused, exchanged a knowing glance, and followed._ _


End file.
